


a kid for a day

by rhyzukun



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS (Video Game), ヒプノシスマイク | Hypnosis Mic (Albums)
Genre: Gen, Slice of Life, halloween wholesome time!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27321475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhyzukun/pseuds/rhyzukun
Summary: The crossover crew have a fun halloween, the first of many more to come! (o´▽`o)
Kudos: 5





	a kid for a day

**Author's Note:**

> boo boo desu wa! happy halloween!

Ichiro stretched as he looked at his costume, hung up in his closet. The spooky season was here, and for the first time in a while he was looking forward to it. He finally had enough money saved to take his family and friends out for the day. In the weeks leading up to today it had been hard for Ichiro to contain his excitement. Even just putting on his costume had him bouncing around like a little kid.

Each Halloween at the orphanage was a vague memory, like he had to concentrate to remember anything about those cold, dark nights. He remembered the times when all the little kids at the orphanage would get dressed up in flimsy costumes held together with little more than tape and glue.

There was a year when he dressed up, the year he turned 14. He hoped that the disguise would let him blend in with the crowd but it was in total vain. The other kids were all too scared to get close, even the crowd of drunk adults felt more welcoming. He chose to instead walk around on his own, and even that was short-lived, giving up on any kind of festivities and going home empty-handed, and empty-hearted.

On the years that followed, Halloween was nothing more than a work day.

Then he remembered the second to last Halloween they spent there. Jiro and Saburo were skipping arm in arm, babbling about all the different kinds of candy they wanted to get their hands on. The memory of their hands, much smaller and softer than they are now, eagerly clutching onto little bags waiting to be filled with treats that were usually far and few in-between, was fleeting in Ichiro’s memory. He’d offered to trail behind the group as a makeshift bodyguard for the stampede of children, catching brief glimpses of the two little ghosts hopping around and trying not to spill their loot.

For the last Halloween there Ichiro was nowhere close to them. In fact he had spent most of the night beat up in a back-alley that he was praying for Jiro and Saburo not to walk past. Ichiro hadn’t told them where he was that evening. Neither of them mentioned that they wanted him to join the group that year. But they went without him anyway, trudging along the familiar streets as a duo once again. They had been glancing back at the crowd to look for him the whole time, but they didn’t tell him that either.

Those times were when Ichiro felt most lonely. But none of that mattered right now. They were all together and they had a party to prepare for. 

Saburo was the first to finish changing. He stepped out into the hall admiring his adorably smart vampire costume, taking a moment to smooth out the creases and brush off the lint from having it stashed away for so long. It was your run of the mill vampire suit but it was exactly what he wanted. He glanced around the room, checking that he was alone before he twirled around on the spot. The cape fluttered and floated around him as he spun, and he smiled with unbridled glee. 

“Heheh… I’ll be the scariest creature in all of Ikebukuro!” He said to himself, trying to not let the others hear. “Ah, wait.” Remembering the final touch to his costume, Saburo took a set of fake fangs out of his pocket and put them in. He pulled out his phone to take a commemorative selfie, and just as he clicked the button a shadow loomed in the hallway behind him.

“Huh?”

Before he could look the shadow came forward and latched onto Saburo’s back, covering his face with… mittens?

“GrraaaAGH!”

The shadow turned out to be Jiro wearing a bunch of old clothes with fake fur stuck on in various patches.

“Haah? Oh, I see the dumb mutt has arrived. You’ve never improved in making your own costumes, y’know.”

“Oi, I was making costumes for you before you could walk.” Jiro lowered his voice, almost talking to himself. “You always looked adorable, even if the costume itself was kinda shitty…”

“…”

“You still like the vampire get-up, huh.”

“Of course. You can’t go wrong with the classics.”

“And you went all out this year?” Jiro pointed to Saburo’s slicked back hair and vampire make-up, “it doesn’t look half bad!” 

“You’ll have to thank Ruby and Rina for that, they taught me about all kinds of stage cosmetics.”

“That’s awesome! Man, I’m so excited for today, it’s been a few years since we went out for Halloween, right? Feels like forever ago…”

Saburo clenched his fists, feeling some regret that he didn’t ask Jiro to make his costume. He wanted to go back and have the same connection with Jiro just as they had as little kids, but now it was as if there was a wall between them and all the days they spent together.

“Oi. I can tell you’re thinking about something stupid. We’ve got friends waiting for us, so lighten up, yeah?”

“Yeah…” 

An uncomfortable silence filled the air, save for some clattering from Ichiro’s room. His door creaked open, and out stepped a demon in the middle of fixing his headband.

“Man, I hope this gets less uncomfortable… Oh you guys are already changed! And you planned your outfits all on your own? I’m really impressed!” 

“Thanks, nii-chan!”

“Ichi-nii, thank you… what’s your costume?”

“Remember that RPG we played a while back? I really liked that demon outfit so I wanted to find somethin’ similar! How do I look?” Ichiro dramatically spun around, puffing out his chest and giving out his best demon roar. 

“Woah! That’s awesome, nii-chan! It’s… different than what you usually wear!”

Jiro was right. Unlike his RPG outfit, Ichiro didn’t have a cape but the dramatic outfit quota was filled with a dark shirt with puffy sleeves and open shoulders, and the whole costume was adorned with little spikes and sparkles, from his shoes to his horns.

“I know right? I was worried at first but, I thought ‘why not?’!”

“Your judgement worked once again, Ichi-nii!”

“You guys… come here!” Ichiro pulled in Jiro and Saburo for a tight hug, kissing the tops of their heads. “I wouldn’t have the courage if it weren’t for you two!” He squeezed them even tighter, trying to not let them see the tears appearing in his eyes.

“Gah!”

“Urg!”

“Ahaha! Sorry!” Ichiro let them go, quickly wiping his eyes and hiding a sniffle. “Let’s get going, the train we want will be here soon.”

“Um… So… what exactly are we doing?”

“Typical Jiro. They sent us the basic itinerary in the group chat. Did you drop your phone down the drain again?”

“No! I just- I forgot to look at it.”

“You guys… don’t fight now. We’re gonna take the train to Odaiba, meet up with everyone and have food at Ai’s parent’s restaurant first, and then we’ll watch the Halloween live show. After that everyone’s coming back for a sleepover. I got all the times covered so don’t worry about that. Got it?”

“Yeah!” Jiro and Saburo cheered.

“Then let’s go!”

The train journey went unusually smoothly, save for a few strange looks from older people not accustomed to the whole dressing-up thing.

“Oh! I see them!” Jiro sped off in the direction of the restaurant as soon as he saw their destination.

“Jiro! Don’t run off…! Ah, there he goes. No manners at all, wouldn’t you agree, Ichi-nii?”

But Ichiro wasn’t far behind Jiro.

“Ah… There they go.”

Saburo joined the group, and saw a very green-looking Ai.

“Oh! My! Gosh! You guys look amazing! A demon, a werewolf and a vampire? I’m like so creeped out! Ahaha~ can you guess what we are?” Ai was covered in green body paint, with dark patches around her eyes. Two little fake studs were stuck to her neck, and she wore a worn-out school uniform.

“You’re… a zombie?”

“So close, Jirocchi! I’m the monster of Frankenst-Ai-n! And Rinari is Doc Frank himself!” 

Ai proudly gestured to Rina, who stepped out from behind her, wearing a very over-sized lab coat that covered her hands and went down past her knees. Her hair was up in messy buns and her face hid behind a pair of goofy round glasses that made her eyes look cartoonish-ly big. “Hello, everyone.”

Ai nudged Rina with a little wink.

“Ah. Yes, be careful or I’ll experiment on you aaaaall.” She raised her arms and tried to wave them around scarily, but the long sleeves made her look more cute than spooky. No-one knew what to say after Rina’s monotone performance. But of course Big Bro Ichiro was there to break the ice.

“Wow, that was amazing! You two look really impressive!”

Rina looked down at her feet and tried to not cover her face, “Ah. Thank you.”

“Man, you’re laying on these compliments thicker than this body paint! Take a seat, guys! Rubes and Dia will be here super soon!” Ai gestured to a nearby table, enough to seat the whole party. “Imma go check on the food, be right back!”

The remaining four sat down, all hungry for food and excited for the festivities. 

“So, Rina…” Saburo started, “Who came up with the idea for your joint costume?”

“I did, actually. Most of the club’s costumes are part of a small group or pair. We haven’t seen anyone else’s yet so I’m really looking forward to the event. Your vampire costume suits you well, Saburo. You put on the pale make-up just like we taught you to. It’s fitting since you stay inside so much. Ah, I didn’t mean that in a bad way.”

“Ehehe, don’t worry.” He got somewhat embarrassed at the compliment. “Are you alright performing in that?”

A little smile appeared on Rina’s face, “Yes. I’ve done a few practices with it and it’s not hard to move in.” She waved her arms around to prove her point. “The glasses are a little weird to look through, though.” Rina was interrupted as the restaurant door opened. “Ah, that must be Ruby and Dia.”

Ruby’s bouncy voice echoed through the restaurant, “Nee-chan! They’re already here!” She exclaimed as she skipped over to the table, jingling with each step.”Uwaaa! I love everyone’s costumes! Nee-chan! Come on!”

“Yes, yes, Ruby.” Dia walked over with her usual grace. “I see you’re all dressed for the occasion. And how is everyone doing?” A round of greetings went around the table, and the sisters took their seats. “Wonderful! As you can see, I chose my costume to be a zombie queen, and Ruby is a lovely jester.”

“Also a zombie!” The bells on Ruby’s hat jingled with her excitement.

“Yes, also a zombie. I have to say, all of your costumes do fit you all quite well.”

“Don’tcha think?” Ai appeared behind Dia almost like magic, making the queen jump in her seat. “Oops! Sorry, your highness!” 

“Wait, what do you mean by they fit us?” A confused Jiro looked down at his outfit. “I’m not that hairy…”

“Ahahaha! Well, Jirocchi. You’re like the ferocious guard dog of ‘bukuro, right? But you’re not like that all the time, so a werewolf is perf!”

“Ai said it better than I could. You’re very… bombastic when you’re in a battle, but when we study together you pout like a little Pomeranian.” Dia chuckled daintily at her own statement.

“See? Even they can see you’re a dumb mutt.”

“Don’t be mean to him, Saburo…” Ruby sadly glanced between the two boys. “I think you all look great! And I know it’s not technically formal but the vampire-y suit sits well on you! Especially since you’re so tall.”

“Thank you…” Saburo straightened his tie, trying to shy away from the blush forming on his cheeks. He turned away only to see Jiro looking back at him with a shit-eating grin on his face. Saburo huffed and turned back to Ruby. “So why are you a jester?”

“Because my clown outfit is one of my favourites to wear on stage! Me and nee-chan wanted to go for something familiar but also different. And jesters are from a long time ago so there wouldn’t be any living ones around!” Emphasising her words with more jingles, Ruby rambled about the ins and outs of the costume process. “And nee-chan is graceful, so I made her something elegant!”

“Haha, yes you did! I do love wearing traditional Japanese clothing, but for today I went with a more western royal design. I was unsure at first, but being in Aqours has taught me that trying something new is a rewarding experience, more often than not. And there’s no way I could refuse a costume made by my adorable little sister!”

“Aww you’re such a great big sister, Dia!” Jiro hugged Dia from the side. “When we were little I made costumes for me and Saburo!”

“Wow! What were they like?” Ruby’s eyes sparkled at the thought of her friend making outifts.

“They were… not great.”

“Oh. I was asking what they were but…” Her speech trailed off as she felt more awkward. “But… did you not make outfits for Ichiro too?”

All eyes turned to Ichiro. Memories of past Halloweens came back to him; he trusted them enough to consider telling them the truth but he didn’t want to ruin the mood. He opened his mouth as if to reply to Ruby, but instead he could only muster up a hearty laugh. For the first time in a while, he wanted to make this a Halloween to remember.

“Um. Anyway, the demon king look suits you! I have to say,” She continued with an awkward laugh, “Because like, you’re pretty intimidating, even though you’re like everyone’s big brother!”

“Are you sure that’s not just cuz he’s like a foot taller than you, Rubes?” The ever-peppy and ever-vigilant Ai came to the rescue. “Just got the word, food’s ready! Let’s go from being monsters and become nom-sters!” 

“Yes, let’s! But we do still have to perform after…”

“Dia! Don’t be a meanie queenie! I’ve made sure the food is light enough so it won’t affect our performance and we can even go munch on candies after!” 

The dishes were brought out and soon the nom-sters were fuelled up and ready to head out. It wasn’t hard for them to find their destination, with a commotion gathering around the stage and the glittering stage design making the experience of just being there feel enchanting.

“Wow… this looks like something Ramuda would design…” Ichiro mumbled to himself as he took in the scenery. The small outdoor stage was full of colourful decorations, pumpkins and webs and all kinds of Halloween props spread out from the stage and into the audience zone. 

“It’s totes fun, right? We gotta go backstage now guys, but you’re in the front row right? We’ll see ya soon!” Ai and the others waved them off in a hurry. 

“Yeah!” The brothers cheered in unison. “See ya!” They wished the girls luck and scrambled to quickly find their seats. Before long, the lights darkened and the crowd revved up.

“Woah woah woah it’s starting!”

“Jiro! Shh!”

“Sorry.”

From the first note, adrenaline flowed through the idols into the crowd. Through some kind of sparkling idol magic, everyone forgot about the outside world and completely lost themselves in the music. Some of the songs they didn’t recognise but they cheered along just the same. The MC sections were full of spooky ad-libs and banter, immersing the audience in the experience.

“This is so much fun!” Ichiro waved his penlight as hard as his heart was beating.

“Did you say something, nii-chan? It’s so loud I can’t hear you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“…”

The live show ended before they knew it, and everyone began to switch back to reality. The air became cold again, and once everyone regrouped they headed home. They chattered, still feeling the energy of the live show flow through them.

Jiro bounced around the train station exit, already hyped up on sugar, “You guys were so amazing! It was all dark and spooky and stuff but you still managed to be really bright! That’s sick… I wish I could do that! Man, that live show was so good and it felt like we were on stage with you! But also not! I have so much energy we could do this all over again! What do you guys wanna do when we get back?”

“You could calm down, for starters.” Saburo was patting down the hair that had come loose with his own excitement. “Some of us are aware that we’re in public.”

“C’mon Sabusabu! Don’t be mean!” Ai playfully punched Saburo on the arm, and turned to Jiro, “But y’know you shouldn’t try to copy the dance moves when you’re watching, Jirocchi! I could totally see you! Trying it out later isn’t a bad Ai-dea though! You wanna do that?”

“Ai, we have done this charade before.” Dia stepped between them, “You’re going to realise how tired you are when we get there. And you have to wash off all of that body paint.”

“True… it was a good idea to keep our jammies there, I almost forgot! I bet we’re gonna snooze good tonight!” Ai stretched her arms in the air and noticed some of the green had come off on her sleeves. “Oh! I hope I don’t turn your shower green!”

“It’s no problem!” Ichiro reassured her. “That shower’s seen a lot worse.”

“Certainly, Ichi-nii! Do you mean when Jiro walked that huge dog that dragged him face-first into mud? Or when Jiro put mentos in coke and it exploded all over him? Or when-”

“Saburo.” 

“Sorry, Ichi-nii…”

“Save that energy for later. I’m sure there’s something festive you want to do too. And that doesn’t mean making fun of your brother. Anyone have ideas?”

When the girls had finished giggling at Jiro, they started talking amongst themselves, full of ideas.

“Uguuu… Nee-chan! Nee-chan!”

Dia was surprised at her sister’s sudden energy, but calmly talked to her with a knowing smile, “What? Ruby, you look like you’re about to burst! Do you perhaps want to say something?”

“Oh! Oh! Yes!” Ruby was hopping around with excitement, “Can we bake later? Um, there’s some recipes I wanna try. There’s pumpkin cookies, and cute little ghost cupcakes! And maple flapjacks! They’re not very spooky though…”

“That sounds so yummy. Can I help?” Rina flapped her jacket sleeves at Ruby.

“Yeah! Baking together is always fun! But us all in one kitchen might be a little… and there’s so many things to buy…”

Little did she know, Dia had already sent the recipes to Ichiro just a few days before, and the ingredients were waiting for her back at the Yamada’s place. 

“No worries!” Ichiro patted Ruby’s hat. “We’ve got plenty of ingredients back home so you can make anything you want! I think everyone here is in the mood for sweets, right?”

“Huh? Can we really make them all?!”

“Of course, Ruby! You can all help if you want!”

A chorus of cheers rang through the street and Ichiro’s heart warmed as his friends, who were starting to feel like family, mingled with an ease that he once only could dream of being a part of.

“Ah, almost there. You know, you guys really- wait, where are you going?! Jiro!”

An impromptu race started when their home came into sight. Jiro sprang forward, taking the lead. 

“Last one there’s a sour candy!” He stuck out his tongue at the runners behind him.

Ai and Ruby grabbed Dia’s hands and pulled her along, to her dismay. 

“PigyaAH! Agh, you two let go of me this instant!”

“Ahahaha! Nee-chan, you screamed!”

“C’mon Diaaaaaaaaaaaaa! 

Rina followed close behind with her jacket sleeves comically flapping in the wind. 

“Wait for meeeeee!”

Saburo, being the least athletic, was trailing behind and had to stop to catch his breath not long after setting off. Ichiro caught up to him just strolling.

“Need some help?”

Saburo quickly took a few deep breaths, trying to hide how exhausted he was. “I should be asking you that, you could come first easily.”

“I’m happy just watching you guys have fun! At least one of us has to be responsible!” He was half lying, but the words came out on their own. Being the protector came naturally to Ichiro, so much so that it was hard to let himself play around. 

“C’mon! Um, we can run together!”

“No, it’s alright.” Ichiro gave Saburo a reassuring smile, but it wasn’t convincing.

“Ichi-nii…” Saburo looked up with puppy-dog eyes, a sure-fire way to get what he wants, “I don’t want to come last though…”

It worked like a charm. Ichiro hefted Saburo up on his back with ease.

“Hold on tight!”

“Why? UwaaAH!” 

Ichiro took off at full speed, the decorations on his outfit jangling in the wind.

“Ahaha! This is so fun! Watch out, everyone! Here we come!”

Maybe it was okay for Ichiro to act like a kid for one day.


End file.
